Safety fob attachment.



C. H. ALLEN. SAFETY POB ATTAOHMBNT.

APPLICATION FILED APB..11, 1910.

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mi: Noam: iar'sns to. wwmcron, n c4 CHARLES H. ALLEN, OF .ATTLEBORQ MASSACHUSETTS.

SAFETY FOB ATTACHMENT.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 14C, 1911.

Application led April 11, 1910. Serial No. 554,692.

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, CHARLES H. ALLEN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Attleboro, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful improvements in Safety Feb Attachments, of which the following is a specilicatien.

lliis invention relates to improvements in safety-fob attachments of the class provided each with a short chain or flexible connection arranged te be secured to a watch and also adapted to be detachably secured te the watch-pocket of the wearer; and it consists in the nevel features of construction and combination, alll as more fully hereinafter set forth and claimed.

The object l have in view is to produce a safety-fob attachment in which the objections and disadvantages inherent in devices of this general character, are wholly eliminated. To that end the main holder or clip member has a casing fixed at its inner end containinga small, revoluble, spring-retracted drum1 having` a fobschain connected to the latter and wound thereon, the other, or swivel-end of the chain extending outward through the casing. spring serves to maintain the swivel-end of the chain in normal contact with the casing and also to automatically rewind the chain upon the drum concurrently with the act of returning the watch into the pocket. In order to consult the watch, the user simply removes it from his pocket, the movement at the same time causing the light, spring-resisted drum to rotate rearwardly and permit the chain to unwind therefrom to its limit. The reaction ef the spring causes the drum to rotate in a contrary direction and rewind the chain thereon, as first stated.

in the accompanying sheet of drawings, Figure l represents a front elevation of a safety-fob attachment embodying my improvement, said figure also showing the device attached to a watch lying in the watchpocliet portion of a garment, as in use. Fig. 2 is a corresponding edge view of the same, in partial section. Fig. 3 is a vertical or longitudinal sectional view, in enlarged scale, taken through the center of the main attaching member, er clip, and the revoluble chain-carrying drum. Fig. l is a transverse sectional view taken en line 4: 4t of Fig. 8. Fig. 5 represents a front elevation of the drum-easing, showing the lower por- The action of the tion of the clip positioned therein. Fig. 6 is an end elevation of the drum and its supporting member; and Fig. 7 is a corresponding side elevation of the same.

lt may be stated briefly that A, in the drawings, designates the article complete, the same comprising the improved bent clip or clasp member B, the casing E secured te it, the chaincarrying, spring-retracting drum D revelubly mounted in the casing, and a fob, as G, attached to a looped bar l, linhed to and suspended from the front arm of the member B.

The clip member B is bent to an inverted U-shape, the lower end of the front arm bl is adapted to be linked te the usual bar member l, from which depends a fob proper, as G. The rear arm, ZF, extends downward sulistantially pa allel with arm b1 and terminates in the enlarged thin disk-like part D", Fig. 5. An opening b* is pierced through arm b2, a portion of the stool( being bent inward to form the lug b5. A thin sheet metal spring 71, conforms to the inner face of the arms and is held in position by said lug-see Fig. The lower proximate faces of the spring are provided with spurs L. An angle-lever C, formed of arms c1 and c2, is pivoted to the back of member b2, its short arm c2 lying in the opening b* and being in normal contact with the adjacent back face of the spring 7L, all as clearly shown.

E designates a shallow, cup-shaped, cylindrical casing, having formed in its front end a narrow inner circular shoulder c and a rim el, the rim being cut away at c3, Fig. 5, to receive the corresponding part b of the clip. It will be seen that the said disk part If* of the latter forms a cap or cover for the casing, the shoulder c2 and inturned or beaded edge el serving to secure it in positionsee Fig. 3. A flanged disk F, having a tubular central hub f, is located in and secured to the bottom of the casing. The hub has a longitudinal slit f1, Figs. A and G, to receive therein the inner end of a light spiral spring S, the end of the outer convolution being secured in a slit l cut in the rim of the spring-inclosing drum member D, revolubly mounted en said stationary hub As thus constructed, an annular space ma is produced between the adjacent walls of the casing and drinn, adapted to contain a predetermined length of chain m. The chain is wound around the drum in a plurality of coils or helices, one end, m1 of the chain, being attached to a spur Z1 (Figs. 6 and 7 formed in the front end of the druinls rim. The spur is subsequently bent downward, thus securing the chain to the drum. The other or free end of the chain m extends through a suitably located opening e4 formed in the Side wall of the casing and is or may be attached to the usual swivel u of a watchchain.

The manner of operation of my improved safety and fob-chain attachment A is substantially as follows: The clip member B is first positioned and then secured to the upper edge, say of a watch-pocket g by Swinging the arm 01 of the lever C upward to defleet spring h, as shown in F ig. 2, the inner or rear arm of the clip then extending into the pocket, followed by attaching a watch to the swivel u of the chain mi. The action of the Spring S normally maintains the chain in the protected wound and concealed position indicated. ln order to consult the watch, the user simply pulls it slightly while withdrawing it from the pocket, the movement being limited by the length of the chain-See corresponding position indicated in Fig. l. Upon returning the watch to the pocket, the spring actel to automatically rewind the chain upon the drum until arrested by the swivel or ring.

I claim as my invention:

In a device of the character described, the combination of a cup shaped casing, a spring -pressed drum revolubly mounted therein, a chain attached to and wound upon the drums periphery, an end of the chain extending through the casing, a cap or cover member secured to and closing the front end of the casing, said cap having an extension integral therewith bent to a U-shape form whose free end is adapted to support a fob, and a spring-pressed lever pivotally mounted in Said extension arranged in cooperation with the latter to form a clasp.

ln teetimony whereof I have ailixed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. ALLEN.

Witnesses:

CHARLES O. SWEET, ANNIE A. 'WHEELER 

